SHANGHAI, June 29 (Xinhua) -- China welcomed its second non-communist minister in just two months, a move highlighting that outstanding people without Communist identity are having more say in politics.

    Chen Zhu, former vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was appointed the minister of health by China's top legislature on Friday, after the cabinet nomination of non-Communist Wan Gang as the minister of science and technology in April.

    "The move indicates that non-communist elite are enjoying more opportunities to act as high-ranking officials in the Communist leadership," said Hu Wei, professor of politics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, adding that it would become a fundamental political system in China.

    Chen, 54, is the second non-Party figure to be given a ministerial position since late 1970s following the accession of Wan, a senior leader of Zhi Gong Party that comprises 15,600 returned overseas Chinese and others with overseas ties.

    "It's a significant move in the development of China's political democracy," Wan said after the appointment.

    Chen declined to make any comments Friday.

    More non-Communist and non-politically affiliated people are expected to become leaders of state-level or local governments, as the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China is getting improved, said Hu.

    Chen and Wan share similar advantages in terms of their professional achievements and administrative experiences, which made them favored by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), according to Yin Jizuo, vice chairman with Shanghai Social Sciences Association.

    Chen, a French-trained scientist, was noted for his achievements in the clinical and molecular study of the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. As CAS vice president, Chen has made great efforts to boost the development of China's life sciences and biotechnology.

    Wan's contributions to many technological innovations were said to have helped the German Audi Corporation achieve outstanding financial results during his employment in the company. After returned from Germany, he was in charge of a key national electric vehicle project. He later served as president of Tongji University in Shanghai.

    Moreover, they returned from overseas studying or working when China needed their expertise. "They are patriotic," said Yin.

    The appointments show the trust of the CPC Central Committee in people from outside the Party, an unnamed official with the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the CPC Central Committee said.

    President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has called for other eight parties, which also share seats in the legislature, to play an active role in pushing China's reforms and opening-up.

    Among a series of directives issued in recent years to promote non-Communist people, the CPC Central Committee has ordered the opening of top positions at or above county-level to non-CPC members and non-politically affiliated people.

    According to the order made in 2005, the State Council, China's cabinet, should pay particular attention to appointing non-Communist candidates to ministerial positions or their equivalents.

    A latest article issued by the Study Times, run by the CPC Central Committee's Party School, pointed out that more non-Party people will be promoted to senior positions in four particular categories of departments, including administrative and judicial supervision, those involved in the management of people's life, intellectuals, and professional sectors.

    However, "the biggest challenge is how to adjust to new administrative functions from a pure scientist or an engineer," said Wan.

    "We don't have experiences in government," he admitted.

    "Measures should be taken to ensure that these people have real administrative power," Pu Xingzu, professor of politics at Fudan University, stressed.